American History II

Spring 2013

Holocaust Unit Exam

This is an OPEN NOTE exam. You may use your class notes and a self-printed copy of the online PowerPoint. You are permitted to think about the topic and outline your answer prior to class. You may use your INDIVIDUALLY CREATED OUTLINE when writing the essay in class if you desire. If you use an outline, YOUR OUTLINE MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH YOUR EXAM. This is an INDIVIDUAL exercise, and NO COLLABORATION with other students is permitted. All students will submit the signed certification on the back of this paper with their exam confirming that NO COLLABORATION has occurred in the creation of any outline or the planning of this essay. No exam will be graded without a signed certification. Your essay must be HANDWRITTEN IN CLASS on TUESDAY April 9, 2013.

INTRODUCTION: In the early 21st Century, the United Nations created a division assigned to the prevention of future genocide. According to that group, there are certain circumstances which allow us to identify when genocide is likely to occur or is already occurring. According to the UN, the following are some of the factors that evidence an increased risk of genocide: 1. Tense inter-group relations, including a record of discrimination and/or other human rights violations committed against a group; 2. Weak institutional capacity to prevent genocide, such as the lack of an independent judiciary [court system], ineffective national human rights institutions, the absence of international actors capable of protecting vulnerable groups, and a lack of impartial security forces [police or military] and media; 3. The presence of illegal arms and armed elements [militias or military groups]; 4. Underlying political, economic, military or other motivation to target a group; 5. Circumstances that facilitate perpetration of genocide, such as a sudden or gradual strengthening of the military[]; 6. Acts that could be elements of genocide, such as such as killings, abduction and disappearances ethnic cleansing or pogroms or the deliberate deprivation of food; 7. Evidence of the intent to destroy [an ethnic group] in whole or in part; 8. Triggering factors, such as elections. The creation of this list was largely informed by the events that occurred in and around Nazi Germany from 1933-45, which we have discussed extensively during our last unit.

American History II ESSAY TOPIC:

Spring 2013

Holocaust Unit Exam

Discuss how FOUR of the eight factors identified by the UN were present in Nazi Germany during the time leading up to the Holocaust and/or during the actual carrying out of the genocide against the European Jews. You should identify the factor you will discuss, identify a minimum of one specific example of a characteristic of Nazi Germany or action taken by the Nazis that applies to that factor, and explain how this identified action or characteristic fits the factor you have chosen. Because this is an open-note examination, your discussion should contain reference to specific information from class or other sources and NOT mere generalizations of what occurred. You also should use DIFFERENT events or actions to discuss each chosen factor from the UN list (i.e. not use the same event as evidence of more than one factor). If you feel you need additional information to write a quality essay, pages 686 and 707710 in your text may be helpful. This essay must be written in proper, grammatically correct sentences and paragraphs (including an introduction and a conclusion) and follow our standard format for exam essays.

CERTIFICATION: I _____________________________ certify that I have not collaborated with any parent, student, tutor, or any other person in the completion of this assessment, including but not limited to the creation of any essay outline, the identification of issues to discuss in my essay, or any other collaborative activity which would prevent my exam from being anything other than wholly representative of my own individual work. I understand that any violation of this policy forbidding collaboration will result in a grade of an zero on my exam and any further discipline (up to and including an F for the semester in American History II) that is deemed appropriate by the Hillel Academy administration pursuant of the Hillel Academy policy regarding academic integrity that is contained in the Hillel Academy handbook. I also understand that this certification is required in order for my exam to be accepted and graded. Failure to submit this signed certification will mean I receive a zero for this exam.

____________________________________ Student Signature